The South African Women’s cricket team was put through its paces at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Centre of Excellence, the first step towards preparations for the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, which will take place in India later this year.
Coach Mandla Mashimbyi Overseeing his First National Training Camp:
Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi was overseeing his first national training camp, which started in Tshwane on Monday, 17 February, and ran until Friday, 21 February. Star cricket players Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloé Tryon, and captain Laura Wolvaardt were missing due to their involvement in the Women’s Premier League in India. Mashimbyi put together a strong squad.
The 17-player group consists of One-Day International-capped cricket players including Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Suné Luus and Nonkululeko Mlaba.
Mashimbyi’s Plan to Improve Women’s Cricket
Mashimbyi hopes to get the women’s cricket team playing at a higher level and said before the camp that he hoped the experience would help players assess where they were.
“What’s going to be important for us is to get them to understand their abilities and where they can actually improve their abilities and also upskill. Hopefully, in the next four days when they get out of this camp, they’ve got a better understanding of what they bring to the table and what it is that they need to go back and work on in the next few months,” he said.
“This first camp for me was going to be important for them to understand my vision, where I would like them to be and what we want to achieve with what we have. The one question that I asked the players was, ‘What does it mean to be a Protea?’. I think that will get them thinking and they will understand what are the needs instead of the wants and then they can focus on the needs to make sure that they leave no stone unturned from a prep point of view, a training point of view and a skills development point of view as well.”
Mashimbyi Wants To Build Bonds With Players
“I think the biggest thing for me is to try and get to know the players a little bit better. It’s going to be key, engaging with them throughout the camp, trying to understand where their games are at and what they think about their own game, and then hopefully during those conversations one or two comments could be the thing that activates them to a point where they feel, I need to beef up here, I need to beef up there, which for me is important,” Mashimbyi said on helping the team become better cricket players.
“I’m looking for players that are always looking to be better versions of themselves. So hopefully by the end of the four days, the ladies will have gained a little bit more.”
Proteas Women Cricket Training Camp Squad:
Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Lara Goodall (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Miané Smit (Recon Tactical Free State), Delmi Tucker (World Sports Betting Western Province), Faye Tunnicliffe (World Sports Betting Western Province).
